Texas wildfires - update # 3

Recalling the wildfires that plagued Texas that I first wrote about on April 18 and in subsequent articles later on April 18 and again on April 20 and April 22, I was curious about current wildfire activity in the Texas. I had been aware that while some of the larger fires that burned in late April have since been contained, I knew that wildfire activity continued.

For example, one of the fires that made national headlines was the Rock House Fire (314,444 acres per inciweb). When I went to the inciweb page for the Rock House Fire today, I saw that the fire has been contained and controlled. National crews and equipment (engines, dozers and a water tender) continue to work with TX firefighting crews to mop-up and monitor the fire. I would be remiss if I were to leave out Bill Gabbert's report on local resident's reaction on the management of the Rock House Fire.

When I went to inciweb today and set the filter to Texas only, I saw three wildfire incidents in TX with updates within the last 24 hours, the Schwartz fire (83,995 acres, 90% contained), the Iron Mountain fire (87,401 acres, 90% contained), and the Gage - Holland Fire (5,975 acres, 100 % contained. Please be advised that what I have referenced from  inciweb for Texas, may be different when you access the page, as the incident information is updated, and new incidents are added. Also, not every incident makes inciweb.

I went to the Texas Forest Fire Service Newsroom very early this morning , before todays update (note, what you see when you click the link may be different as daily updates are mode). On May 16, the Texas Forest Fire Service reported that

"Since fire season started on Nov. 15, 2010, Texas Forest Service and area fire departments have responded to 10,123 fires that have charred 2,589.303 acres."

As of May 18, 2011, the Texas Forest Fire Service continues to report on the Iron Mountain Fire and the  Schwartz Fire that have been picked up by inciweb (above). They also report on a new fire since Tuesday, May 16 - the Price Fire in Sterling County (3,363 acres, 95% contained). In todays update, they report on a new large fire, the Forest Ranch Fire in Wichita County (1,000 acres, 75% contained).

I understand from both the reports from the Texas Forest Fire Service that I have already referenced, that two SEATs worked the Foster Ranch Fire and three "heavy tankers" worked the Price Fire. Inciweb reports that aircraft worked the Schwartz Fire (obtained from http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2220/ on May, 19, 2011).

A final point. Fighting these and other wildland fires often involved both ground crews and air tankers and helos along with other aerial resources such as lead planes, observation aircraft, air supervisor modules). Aerial resources work to support the crews on the ground. Words the echo in my head as I write this come from some correspondence I had with an airtanker pilot last year - "see, I told you that the tanker business is complicated."

I think that the business of fighting wildland fires is complicated. All of you who are involved fighting wildland fires, whether you be on the ground or in the air have my utmost respect.